on the basis of documents, the 12 Earthly Branches may have been uesd to designate hours in the Han Dynasty. However, the names of the 12 Earthly Branches inidcating hours seem to appear in Duyu’s Commentary to Zuozh...on the basis of documents, the 12 Earthly Branches may have been uesd to designate hours in the Han Dynasty. However, the names of the 12 Earthly Branches inidcating hours seem to appear in Duyu’s Commentary to Zuozhuan and the combination between the 12 Earthly Branches and the 12 two-hours of a day may have been recorded in the Tang Dynasty. In the light of the excavated bamboo slips Rishu from Tunmeng in Hubei Province, the combination of the 12 two-hours and the 12 Earthly Branches may be as early as in Qin Dynasty. However, the names of the 12 two-hours in bamboo slips are slightly different from those names in documemts and the names in different places of the bamboo slips are also contradictory. This paper explores the differences and some related problems.展开更多
文摘on the basis of documents, the 12 Earthly Branches may have been uesd to designate hours in the Han Dynasty. However, the names of the 12 Earthly Branches inidcating hours seem to appear in Duyu’s Commentary to Zuozhuan and the combination between the 12 Earthly Branches and the 12 two-hours of a day may have been recorded in the Tang Dynasty. In the light of the excavated bamboo slips Rishu from Tunmeng in Hubei Province, the combination of the 12 two-hours and the 12 Earthly Branches may be as early as in Qin Dynasty. However, the names of the 12 two-hours in bamboo slips are slightly different from those names in documemts and the names in different places of the bamboo slips are also contradictory. This paper explores the differences and some related problems.